Why Finland Feels Like Home to a Chinese American 🇫🇮

Finnish and Chinese cultural similarities run deeper than most people expect, and a Chinese American living in Turku, Finland has a front-row seat to all of them. If you have ever wondered what Finnish and Chinese cultures actually share, the answer turns out to be quite a lot. Shoes come off at the door in Finnish homes, schools, and even some offices. Finns reuse ice cream containers as Tupperware, cut the last drop out of lotion tubes, and repurpose old sheets as cleaning rags — habits that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who grew up in a Chinese household. Soy sauce sits in the Finnish spice rack right next to salt and pepper, the kantele is a string instrument that plays almost identically to a guzheng, and the dough for a Karelian pie rolls out the same way as a dumpling wrapper. Are Finns and Chinese people more similar than anyone realizes? After two years in Finland, the answer keeps surprising me. You will also find some genuine differences here. Finns mean exactly what they say (no reading between the lines), and the Finnish habit of putting babies down for outdoor naps in January would never fly in Chinese culture. Both sides of that comparison end up being equally fascinating. If you enjoy this kind of cross-cultural observation, you might also love this one:    • 🇫🇮 Just How Racist is Finland? A Chinese A...   The Finnish and Chinese cultural similarities covered here include language quirks, traditional instruments, food customs, frugality habits, and a few games you might not expect to find in a Finnish home. The ones that surprised me most are in the video. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Finnish and Chinese Cultural Similarities: Introduction 0:56 Finnish Sisu and Chinese Perseverance: A Shared Grit 1:13 Are Finns and Chinese Both Introverted? 1:33 Finnish and Chinese Language Similarities 2:34 The Word "Aijaa": Finnish and Chinese Share a Surprise 3:11 Kantele vs Guzheng: Finland and China's Traditional Music 3:55 Removing Shoes Indoors: Finnish Custom That Feels Very at Home 4:50 Finns Hang Dry Clothes, Just Like in China 5:21 Finnish Frugality: Reusing Containers and Making Every Drop Count 6:50 Badminton and Mahjong in Finnish Families 7:57 Finnish Children's Books vs My Neighbor Totoro 8:30 Finnish and Chinese Food Similarities: Starch, Rice 12:45 Two Reasons Why Finns Are Not Like Asians 🎬 RELATED VIDEOS Just How Racist is Finland? A Chinese American's Truth    • 🇫🇮 Just How Racist is Finland? A Chinese A...   I Finally Tried These WEIRD Finnish Foods! (2 Years in Finland)    • I Finally Tried These WEIRD Finnish Foods!...   What Does Finnish Food Actually Taste Like? (Round 2)    • What Does Finnish Food Actually Taste Like...   Visiting Finland? 15 Things to Know Before You Go    • Visiting Finland? 15 Things to Know Before...   TASTE TEST: Americans trying Finnish snacks for the first time    • TASTE TEST: Americans trying Finnish snack...   We left the US for a better life in Europe    • We left the US for a better life in Europe   My Husband's Secret Finnish Salmon Soup Recipe (lohikeitto)    • My Husband's Secret 🇫🇮 Finnish Salmon Soup...   Easter traditions in Finland: Get ready with me for Easter    • Easter traditions in 🇫🇮 Finland | Get read...   Vappu Finland: May Day Festival in Turku (traditions + food)    • Vappu Finland 🇫🇮 May Day Festival in Turku...   Traditional Finnish Christmas Meal at IKEA?!    • Traditional Finnish Christmas Meal at IKEA...   If you would like to support this channel by buying me a coffee, please do so here: https://buymeacoffee.com/finlandiadia... -- thank you and kiitos! Subscribe for weekly videos about life in Finland:    / @finlandiadiaries   #finnishculture #livinginfinland #americaninfinland #finlandiadiaries #finnishandchinese #expatfinland #finland2026 #finnishfood #culturalcomparison #chineseamerican #turkufinland #finnishcustoms